Julian Croft
| birth_place = Merewether, New South Wales | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | occupation = academic | language = English | nationality = | ethnicity = | citizenship = Australian | education = Newcastle Boys High School, New South Wales | alma_mater = University of New South Wales (BA 1961), University of Newcastle, Australia (MA 1968) | period = | genre = biographer, anthologist and editor, poet, novelist, lyricist | subject = | movement = | notableworks = | spouse = | partner = | children = | relatives = | influences = | influenced = | awards = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | portaldisp = }} Julian Croft (born 31 May 1941) is an Australian poet and academic. He was a founder of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature and co-edited its journal, Notes and Furphies for many years. In addition to gathering prizes for his published poems, he is known for his studies of his teacher, T. Harri Jones, and Joseph Furphy (Tom Collins)."Croft, Julian" in William H. Wilde, Joy Hooton, and Barry Andrews (eds) The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature, (Oxford University Press 1994 via Oxford Reference Online)."Croft, Julian" in AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource, National Library of Australia Life Youth and education Julian Charles Basset Croft was born 31 May 1941 in Merewether, a beachside suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, the son of Jack Croft and his wife Florence Helena (née Champion)."CROFT, Julian Charles Basset" in Who's Who Live (Australia) Crown Content Pty Ltd, accessed 20 August 2011. He was educated at Newcastle Boys' High School. He was graduated Bachelor of Arts by the University of New South Wales in 1961."Mr Julian Croft" in Alumni Public Profile, University of New South Wales (database online). From 1961 until 1962 he worked for the Australian Commonwealth Film Unit as a production assistant. Between 1964 and 1967, he was a research assistant at the University of Newcastle and on 15 March 1968, he was graduated Master of Arts by the University of NewcastleUniversity of Newcastle, "Conferral of Degrees" Gazette (1968) Vol. 2 (2) (PDF) p 3 after he had submitted his dissertation, "The concepts of time, history, and memory in the poetry of Kenneth Slessor and R.D. Fitzgerald" to the Department of English.Julian Croft, "The concepts of time, history, and memory in the poetry of Kenneth Slessor and R.D. Fitzgerald" (1967) Thesis (M.A.) submitted to the Department of English, University of Newcastle. His researches resulted in T.H.Jones (Writers of Wales, 1976), The Collected Poems of T. Harri Jones (1977, with Don Dale-Jones) and Robert D. Fitzgerald (1987, UQP Australian Authors Series). Sierra Leone On completion of his Master's degree, he travelled in Europe and Africa.Julian Croft (1941), Australian Poetry Library, Web, Mar. 4, 2012. From 1968 to 1970, he was a lecturer at Fourah Bay College (then part of the University of Sierra Leone) in Freetown, Sierra Leone living on campus :"600 feet above a city which never slept. All night you could hear drums and singing, dogs barking and people calling. The sounds of wakes, weddings and births all drifted in through the window at night. And then at 0600, the sun would rise on Mount Aureol and there was Africa - not lions and giraffes - but the real Africa, a city and people, all before you. If you love Africa, you love life.""Why I love Africa", BBC News, British Broadcasting Commission, 28 April 2005, accessed 20 August 2011. University of New England In 1970, he returned to Australia and took up a lectureship at the University of New England (Armidale, NSW, Australia). He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1975 and Associate Professor in 1992. He was elected to a chair in 1994 when he became Professor of English and Communication Studies, a position he held until his retirement in 2001. He was then granted the honour of Emeritus Professor in the School of English, Communication and Theatre, University of New England.University of New England, University profile Association for the Study of Australian Literature In 1978 he was a foundational member of the executive committee of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature. When he left the committee in 1989, he was made a life member of the Association. Personal and family life In 1967, he married Loretta Ruth Amelia De Plevitz. His first novel, Their Solitary Way (1985), tells the story of the failure of this marriage with separate versions "emphasising the innate incompatibilities of the two". The marriage was dissolved in 1978. He has one son from his first marriage and another son from his marriage on 12 December 1987 to Caroline Margaret, daughter of Robert Ruming and Kay McCumstie. He is a motoring enthusiast and lists his membership of the Bristol Owners' Club (Australia). Recognition * Commonwealth Poetry Prize, Special Prize for a First Collection, 1985: regional winner for Breakfasts in Shanghai * Mattara Poetry Prize, 1985: joint second for The West Wind * Croft's study of the Australian novelist Joseph Furphy won the McCrae Russell prize in 1991. * ASAL (Association for the Study of Australian Literature) Walter McRae Russell Award, 1992: winner for The Life and Opinions of Tom Collins : A Study of the Works of Joseph Furphy * The Newcastle Poetry Prize, Open, 2008: Highly commended for The Shed Publications Poetry *''Loose Federation: Poems'' (with Michael Sharkey). Armidale, NSW: Kardoorair Press, 1979. *''Around the Traps.'' Armidale, NSW: Fat Possum Press, 1982. *''Breakfasts in Shanghai. Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1984. *Confessions of a Corinthian: Poems.'' North Ryde, NSW: Angus & Robertson, 1991. *''After a War (Any War): Poems.'' Armidale, NSW: Kardoorair Press, 2002. *''Ocean Island.'' Elwood, Vic: John Leonard Press, 2006. Play *''Eugenia Fallani'' (with John MacCallum). Armidale, NSW: privately published, 1986. Novels *''Their Solitary Way''. North Ryde, NSW: Angus & Robertson, 1985. *''Out of Print''. Glebe, NSW: Puncher & Wattmann, 2014. Non-fiction * T.H.Jones. University of Wales Press (Writers of Wales), 1976. * The Federal and National Impulse in Australian Literature, 1890-1958. Townsville, Qld: Foundation of Australian Literary Studies (Colin Roderick Lectures), 1989. * The Life and Opinions of Tom Collins: A study of the works of Joseph Furphy. St. Lucia, Qld: University of Queensland Press, 1991. * "I have split the infinitive. Beyond is anything.": Ern Malley, "Petit Testiment" professing English communication (and poetry) now (public lecture). Armidale, NSW: University of New England, 1998. * "Such Is/Was Life", in Unemployed at last! Essays on Australian Literature to 2002, for Julian Croft (edited by Ken Stewart & Shirley Walker). Armidale, NSW: Centre for Australian Studies, University of New England, 2004, pp.1–17. Edited *T. Harri Jones, Collected Poems (edited with Don Dale-Jones). Llandysul, Wales, UK: Gomer Press, 1977. * The Campbell Howard Annotated Index of Australian Plays, 1920-1955 (edited with Jack Bedson). Armidale, NSW: Centre for Australian Language and Literature Studies, University of New England, 1993. ;Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Julian Croft, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, June 21, 2014. See also * List of Australian poets References *''Unemployed at last! Essays on Australian Literature to 2002, for Julian Croft'' (edited by Ken Stewart & Shirley Walker). Armidale, NSW: Centre for Australian Studies, University of New England, 2004. Includes bibiliography. Notes External links ;Poems * Julian Croft (1941- ) at the Australian Poetry Library (144 poems). ;About *Julian Croft at the Newcastle Writers Festival *Julian Croft in the Oxford Companion to Australian Literature Category:1941 births Category:Australian poets Category:Living people Category:Australian literary critics Category:People educated at Newcastle Boys' High School Category:20th-century poets Category:21st-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Univesity of Newcastle alumni Category:University of New South Wales alumni Category:University of New England faculty Category:Australian academics